This invention relates to low depth, plastic cases used for carrying bottles and, specifically, to a new case construction for individual bottles.
It is well known to utilize plastic cases for carrying glass or plastic bottles of various sizes and shapes. Such cases are often designed to carry a particular size bottle in what is sometimes referred to as a xe2x80x9clow-depthxe2x80x9d case, i.e., a case having relatively low peripheral wall (side and end walls) with the bottles extending above the peripheral wall. This means that the bottles themselves support adjacent cases when vertically stacked. These cases also have underside profiles that provide recesses for the bottle tops of underlying cases in order to add stability. Another feature of these cases is the ability to nest when empty, thereby conserving space during shipping and storage. Examples of prior low depth cases may be found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,842,572; 5,823,376; 5,184,748 and 5,060,819.
Continuing concerns relate to material costs, case strength, bottle support and stability as well as the handling of the cases empty or filled.
This invention provides a low depth case that is designed for strength, good bottle support and stability when the crates are used individually, but also when several filled crates are stacked, one on top of the other. The various bottle support surfaces within the case are designed to minimize surface contact, and thereby also minimize bottle surface abrasion. The case disclosed herein is also designed to permit cross stacking and to facilitate pulling the top case off a stack of filled similar cases.
Specifically, the case in accordance with this invention is of one piece molded plastic construction, and includes a relatively flat open-grid type bottom which is connected about its periphery to a pair of side walls and a pair of end walls (also generally referred to as a peripheral case wall). The peripheral case wall has upper and lower regions, with the upper region including a solid band or rail and the lower region including a plurality of spaced panel sections. In other words, the upper band or rail is supported by the plurality of side and end wall panel sections that are located at laterally spaced apart locations about the periphery of the lower region of the case. As a result, windows are formed in the lower region of the peripheral case wall. The case is sized to accommodate four longitudinal rows of 20 oz. bottles with six bottles in each longitudinal row. Alternatively stated, the case accommodates six transverse rows of bottles with four bottles in each transverse row. The case will, however, also accommodate bottles of different size, e.g., 16 oz., 24 oz., etc. but having substantially identical diameters. The open-grid case bottom is designed to provide a distinct, albeit flat, bottle supporting platform for each bottle in the case.
Interiorly of the case peripheral wall, four columns extend upwardly from the case bottom in a symmetrical pattern, each column lying in the center of an array of four bottle supporting platforms, but with no columns located along either of the longitudinal or transverse center lines of the case. As a result, 16 of the 24 bottles will be supported by one side of one column. The remaining eight bottles receive lateral support only from the side end or end walls (and, of course, from adjacent bottles).
The four columns extend upwardly only through the height of the lower region, i.e., to the bottom of the upper peripheral rail. In addition, it will be appreciated that the case configuration would otherwise permit carrying of four six-pack cartons, but the presence of the columns within the interior of the case prevents the carrying of such cartons. Thus, the case is designed for use only with individual bottles, or with multi-packs having top grips.
As already mentioned, the upper surface of the case bottom is flat (except for the columns), with the open grid designed to provide bottle supporting areas or xe2x80x9cplatformsxe2x80x9d for each bottle received within the case. The underside of the case bottom, however, is provided with recessed areas underlying each of the bottle supporting platforms, for receiving the bottle caps of bottles (or tops of the bottles if the latter are empty) contained in an underlying case, when the cases are vertically stacked. These recesses are formed with flat center areas, larger than the bottle tops or caps, thus providing stability but allowing room for the bottles to adjust, particularly when the cases are cross-stacked, an arrangement which results in the bottles of adjacent cases being slightly offset.
The side walls and end walls that make up the peripheral case wall are generally similar except for the presence of handle openings formed in the end walls. The band or rail in the upper region of the peripheral case wall is of alternating double/single walled construction, whereas the side and end wall panel sections in the lower region are of single wall construction. Thus, the peripheral band or rail overhangs the lower side and end wall panel sections. The lower side and end wall panel sections are also tapered slightly inwardly to facilitate stacking of similar empty cases. When empty cases are stacked, the lower, outer edge of the upper peripheral rail of one case rests on the upper edge of the upper peripheral rail of the underlying case. Thus, the lower side and end wall panel sections nest only within the upper rail of the underlying case, such that the case bottom does not engage the columns of the underlying case.
The interior of the peripheral case wall is formed with a repeating surface pattern configuration in both the upper and lower regions thereof. The interior of the lower side and end wall panel sections are each provided with a pair of relatively thick, vertically extending and laterally spaced ribs that provide support, respectively, for two bottles on adjacent support platforms. The bottle supporting surface of each rib is a concavely shaped edge that faces toward the center of the respective bottle supporting platform.
The interior of the upper rail or band is interrupted by a plurality of spaced inwardly directed buttresses, each of which is centered directly over a respective window in a lower side or end wall, and hence, laterally offset from the pairs of ribs on the lower side or end wall panel sections. The interior surface of each buttress is concave in an inward facing direction, and tapers slightly outwardly and upwardly in an upper section of the buttress. This tapered region is provided with a pair of thin upstanding, laterally spaced ribs, each having a convex facing surface. These ribs continue down through the lower section of the buttress, along the vertically concave surface. The ribs in the upper section of the buttress merely serve to guide a bottle as it is inserted into the case. Once seated in the case, the bottle is laterally supported in part by both of the thin vertical ribs in the lower section of the buttress.
Each column within the interior of the case has four sides of equal width, so that the column has an essentially square cross sectional shape. The columns are skewed, however, by approximately 45xc2x0, so that the corners of each column project toward four adjacent bottle supporting platforms. Each of the column sides is also formed with a pair of vertically extending ribs extending upwardly from the case bottom to the top of the column. Each pair of ribs provides line or tangential support for a bottle seated in a respective one of the four adjacent bottle supporting platforms.
Thus, it will be appreciated that the support surfaces for bottles seated within the case are all configured as relatively thin ribs, minimizing surface contact with the bottles themselves, and thereby also minimizing the possibility of abrasion of the bottle surfaces. The bottles are also less likely to be jammed or wedged within the case, because surface contact with the bottles has been minimized, thereby also reducing friction.
Accordingly, in its broader aspects, the present invention relates to a case for carrying a plurality of bottles comprising a pair of side walls and a pair of end walls connected to a case bottom having a plurality of bottle supporting platforms, the side walls and the end walls having a lower part including a plurality of panels separated by windows and an upper part including a substantially solid band, the solid band in the end walls having handle-forming openings therein; wherein the panels are each provided on interior surfaces thereof with a pair of relatively thick, vertically extending and laterally spaced ribs, the ribs having edges facing radially towards centers of adjacent bottle supporting platforms.
In another aspect, the present invention relates to a case for carrying a plurality of bottles comprising a pair of side walls and a pair of end walls connected to a case bottom having a plurality of bottle supporting platforms, the side walls and the end walls having a lower part including a plurality of panels separated by windows and an upper part including a substantially solid band, the solid band in the end walls having handle-forming openings therein; and wherein the solid band is provided on an interior surface thereof with a plurality of vertically extending buttresses, each directly above a respective window; and further wherein each of the buttresses is provided with a pair of vertically extending ribs centered on an adjacent bottle supporting platform.
Other objects and advantages will become apparent from the detailed description that follows.